Demographics Boost Promised for Nigeria

Nigeria - much in the news spotlight this week for other (positive) reasons - could soon have a new living standards index and a more standard definition of socio-economic class: a major breakthrough for data collection and analysis in the country.

A spokesman for the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said at a Breakfast Summit organised by the Nigerian Marketing Research Association (NiMRA) in Lagos this week that the organisation is working on a composite index to improve household data collection. According to www.businessdayonline.com Yemi Kale, Statistician-General and CEO of the NBS, has indicated that the index will use components appropriate to the condition of households in the country, and will supercede the Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS) introduced by the Word Bank in developing countries in 1980.

NiMRA President Lanre Fasakin said harmonising the criteria for living standard measurement was a priority: 'There's a lot of disconnect here in a situation where different segments in the industry use different sets of criteria to arrive at the definition of socio-economic classification'.

Web sites: www.nimra-ng.com and www.nigerianstat.gov.ng .